Savanna Signatures rallies stakeholders towards combatting substance abuse in Northern Ghana

Savanna Signatures, a Non-Governmental Organization operating in the Northern Region has rallied public support towards addressing the menace of substances abuse among the youthful population in the region.

The NGO organized a day’s stakeholders’ engagement to draw attention to the teething issue and also deepening collaborations in winning the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug use especially by people within the productive age bracket.

The forum held under the theme: “strengthening multi-stakeholder solutions for a substance-free northern Ghana,” drew together, traditional rulers, officials of NACOC, partners working in health and mental health related institutions, NCCE, youth led groups such as Tamale offline and media practitioners.

Giving a reflection from traditional authorities, the Paramount chief of Sagnarigu Traditional area, Sagnari-Naa Ambassador Yakubu Abdulai, firstly, commended Savanna Signatures for taking up the issue of drug abuse and challenged traditional rulers to also join the campaign.

He remarked “we should be concerned about what is happening now to our children and the danger it poses for the future.” The Sagnarigu chief also said putting the blame squarely on institutional failures, alone had not resolved the issue, hence collective responsivity and actions was needed.

Head of Programs at Basic Needs Ghana, a mental health advocacy organization, Adam Dokurugu Yahaya speaking on the link between mental health and growing substance abuse in Northern Ghana, lamented that the situation was having a toll on the area’s young population saying addiction is affecting the productivity of young brains and these would further aggravate the poverty in the area if it’s not checked and brought under control.

For his part, Wing Commander Dr. Alhassan Abukari, from the 6 Medical Reception Station at Kamina Barracks, revealed that younger people were becoming prone to strokes, organ malfunction and other serious medical illnesses due to dangerous use of un-prescribed drugs often combined with energy drinks and cough syrups.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Savana Signatures Dr, Stephen Agbenyo, said substance abuse continue to threaten health, safety and potentials of many young people in the region and addressing the growing challenge will require a collective and coordinated approach involving all actors.

According to Dr. Agbenyo the platform was to enable the stakeholders explore existing interventions and also identify gaps and help build stronger partnership for sustainable community driven solutions in tackling the menace.

Some media personnel present, shared insights, data and experiences relating to illicit drug or substance use among the youth in the localities and the potential linkages to extremism and terrorism.

Story By: Nelson Nyadror Adanuti